What can you buy on the Digital Marketplace?

The Digital Marketplace has a lot to offer buyers. If you’re a public sector organisation, there are many opportunities to explore, but it’s all about knowing where to look...

What can I buy on the Digital Marketplace

The Digital Marketplace puts lots of cloud technologies and specialist services all in one place for ease of access – but what can you buy on it?

G-Cloud

The Digital Marketplace offers a handy, comprehensive framework which puts many cloud service suppliers all in one handy place – G-Cloud! Now in its tenth iteration, G-Cloud lists services in three ‘Lots’, depending on what the Buyer needs: Cloud Hosting, Cloud Software and Cloud Support. To date, G-Cloud has around 25,000 services to browse through, all supplying different solutions to buyers.

Cloud Hosting – If you’re looking for infrastructure to help store your data, this is the Lot for you. Some of the big players can be found there such as AWS and Azure, but there are plenty of SMEs too that can offer bespoke hosting services to meet buyers’ specific needs.
Cloud Software – The Cloud Software Lot, you guessed it contains all the types of software you could ever want! The software listed is all cloud based and features a range of solutions to resolve a variety of needs, this includes; CRM systems, data analysis platforms and asset management software – and that’s barely scratching the surface!
Cloud Support – Services listed as Cloud Support can be to help support with setting up cloud software systems or supporting with current services buyers may already have in place. If you need to get your legacy systems updated, or your organisation needs to migrate to the cloud, then this is the place to look for a supplier that can help.

Digital Outcomes and Specialists

The Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework, or DOS as it’s also known, puts over 1200 suppliers in one convenient corner of the Digital Marketplace. There are four different Lots on DOS, these are:

Digital Outcomes – These can include Health Checks on current systems or even the creation of new systems and procedures specific to a desired outcome – such as booking systems or moving a legacy system to the cloud.
Digital Specialists – This can include a specific person to complete a desired aspect of a project. For example, a project manager or analyst hired for a specific requirement only.
User research studio – Any facilities a buyer may need for user research of their service.
User research participants – Participants buyers wish to test a service on for user research.

DOS works a little different from G-Cloud, though. Rather than browsing through what suppliers have to offer, buyers will post their requirements onto the framework and suppliers will then apply by demonstrating how they can support these requirements. Suppliers are checked and evaluated beforehand, so only accepted suppliers to the DOS Framework can apply to offer a solution.

Datacentre Hosting Services

The last ‘thing’ available to buy on the Digital Marketplace is physical datacentre space. This is through a framework called the Crown Hosting Data Centres framework. If a public sector buyer needs physical datacentre space (if switching to the cloud is too expensive, for example) then this framework may be of help.

The Digital Marketplace’s three frameworks offer different solutions to a public sector organisation’s buying needs. What you can buy, really depends on what your requirements are – but there’s lots to browse through!